Ford Airport adds nonstop flight to Phoenix

GRAND RAPIDS — Travelers in West Michigan will have another nonstop flight option starting next year.

Today, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport announced that American Airlines Inc. plans to offer nonstop flights to Phoenix-Sky Harbor International on a seasonal basis starting Jan. 6. The service is expected to run through April 1.

The route marks American Airlines’ seventh direct flight out of Ford Airport.

“American Airlines continues to see the overall growth we’ve had at the Ford Airport which is why this Phoenix flight fits into our seasonal winter schedule, but American has also been a big reason we have had such success and growth,” Ford Airport President and CEO Jim Gill said in a statement.

The airline tripled its seat capacity out of Grand Rapids in the last three years, according to Gill.

The announcement comes after the airport in July added a nonstop route via American Airlines to Miami, as MiBiz reported at the time.